


Wake Me Up

by D1ona30



Category: Actor RPF, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: AU, College Student Tom, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Meet-Cute, Nanny AU, Nanny Tom, RPF, just a heads up, like way more than i had originally planned, writer jake
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-11-26 09:56:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20928326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D1ona30/pseuds/D1ona30
Summary: Here he sits pushing 40 with no degree, enough money he could live 3 lifetimes and still have some leftover and he is bored.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I got aggressively attacked by these two. The interviews are hilarious and they have great chemistry. I just had to write about them. So here is a cute little something.
> 
> I wanted to make it clear that while I did use Jake's real sister's name and brother in law I made the children mentioned in this fic all OC's. Thank you for your time

Jake was bored. His life was boring.

It sounded sad, and it was. He was a best selling author, he should be basking in his fame. Jett setting with the A list celebrities that he met while touring for his newest book or out partying with the award-winning actors they got to star in those tamed down adaptations of his books. That would be his life if he didn't write under a pen name. 

His writing wasn't ever about fame, just a hobby. He never thought it would actually amount to anything, hell he was horrible with grammar and autocorrect saved his ass on more than one occasion. It was in his senior year of high school that his English teacher, Mrs. Thompson, suggested he submit some of his works to be published.

He'd only done it in hopes to get a little extra money and was surprised that they liked his work and requested more, with the condition that he either got better at proofreading before submitting anything else. Thankfully for Jake, his best friend Ryan had a knack for that stuff and only asked for a bag of Funyuns as payment. Nowadays he gets paid way more than that but he does a bit more than just editing, "more like managing your whole career," as Ryan would put it.

He continued his short stories through college, he had every intention of becoming an English teacher himself, hoping to inspire teens the way his teacher had done for him. He had happily published those stories under his real name but those weren't the ones that gave him all those zeros in his bank account. 

It had been for car, he can't remember what kind of car it was because it was sold before he got the check. The ad was in the back of some porn magazine his dorm mate had left laying out. Some days he wishes he'd have just jerked off like he planned and not get sucked into one of the erotic stories, which led him to the contest. $1000 for first place 500 for second and 250 for third for the best erotic short story, requirement between one and three thousand words. He had written the story in two days, it was some crap about a freshman in college getting some "extra credit" from his hot older professor. It was one of the oldest tropes in the book but he won, with comments from a judge saying his description of the woman's body had him "rock hard in less than 30 secs". He only won second place, Ryan to this day says Jake would have one first place if he hadn't been too chicken shit to allow Ryan to proofread it. 

But that one story had spawned requests for more and erotica paid way more than the respectable publications. So he gave himself the pen name Quentin Beck and switched to writing full time. The exploits of that young college freshman and his adventures in the bedroom became his most popular series. He had a publisher reach out to him asking if he'd be willing to put all those stories into a novel. It had spiraled from there. One book deal led to the next, led to writing for porn shoots and then finally a major studio wanted to take his erotic novel series and turn it into a movie. A 50 shades for college kids. He didn't understand it and to be honest he isn't sure if he wanted it but the money was huge. Ryan said he'd be an idiot to turn it down. He never did finish that degree.

So here he sits pushing 40 with no degree, enough money he could live 3 lifetimes and still have some leftover and he is bored. He doesn't want to write erotica anymore, he wants to publish a novel under his real name, one that his niece and nephew don't have to be full-grown adults to read it. He would like to date and meet someone who doesn’t balk when they find out what he does for a living or freak out at all the different kinks he has written about. He hasn't done most of what is in his stories but he has a healthy imagination and there are plenty of ways to research. 

He hasn't published anything in over 2 years and it's starting to irk him. He's taken classes in not just writing but art, history, acting, hell he took a fucking economics class just to stir things up (big mistake). He has a schedule he follows to keep himself active and not get stuck in a rut but still every day when he sits down to write he spends the time staring at the blinking cursor like it's mocking him. 

So really it's no surprise when his sister calls him up and asks if he'd watch her kids for the summer. "Peter's mom broke her hip," "and his sister just had the baby," and finally, "Oh god Jake what am I gonna do? We both have to work." He had offered her money but she had refused, stating they needed their jobs longer than she would require their help and also something about some family coming from out of town and them all sharing shifts. What they needed help with was someone to watch the kids. John (5) and Kate (8) were too young to be alone and unfortunately with their Grandma being injured their parents wouldn't be able to enjoy the summer with them. So she asked Jake if he would house them for the 2 and a half months of their summer vacation. He had said yes immediately, one of the upsides to the money he had was that he bought a decent-sized house. 3 bedroom 2 bath and an office, well technically the office is a dining room but the kitchen has a breakfast nook which works perfectly well for all his meals.

Even though the guest bedrooms have beds, he doesn’t have much for kids to do when they are here. When his sister visited in the past, they'd usually brought their toys or books but the visits were never more than five days, they surely couldn't pack enough toys and games to play with for 2 months. He didn't spend much longer on the phone with Maggie, she had phone calls to make and she said she'd text him the flight details, so he’d know when to get the kids from the airport. Once finished, he decided it might be best to get a few things for the kids before they arrived. 

Navigating the big box store is easy enough, signs and arrows pointing the way. What is not so easy is figuring out which action figure would be best for his nephew. Was he more of an Iron Man or a Captain America kinda guy? Thor’s always good too and he has a hammer. Or does he like Batman? 

He's got the four characters lined up along the shelf, debating the merits of each and holding their ideals up against what he knows about John and what Maggie would want to be taught to her son. They aren't expensive and he could easily afford all of them but that just seems wasteful. 

A pale slender arm slips past him and places a red and blue box next to his line up, "I'm partial to Spider-man myself but to each their own, I guess,” a soft British accent floats up from behind him.

Jake turns just in time to catch the tail end of a one-shouldered shrug accompanying a coy smile and the first thing that pops into Jake's mind is, "Cute, the kid is fucking cute."

Jake lets his eyes flit briefly over the kid, he’s just a few inches shorter than Jake, slimmer too and his face is so smooth that he couldn’t be older than 16. Jake’s stomach gives an uncomfortable twist, he hates being attracted to people underaged, he doesn’t mean to be and he’d never act on it but some are just unfairly attractive and this guy, kid, boy, whatever is one of those. He sighs internally to himself, responding dumbly, “huh?”

The kids eyes go wide for a moment, before he starts rambling, “I just mean, I overheard you which I know is very rude by the way but I couldn’t help it and you seem so invested in the Avenger pick for your son,” the small smile that had been forming at the kids words drops slightly and Jake opens his mouth to correct him but he just bulldozes on, “or daughter! I should say, I mean gosh do I feel bad about that. I am sorry. I shouldn’t just assume, considering, what I plan to do for a living. I’m trying to be better about stuff like that but it’s hard, you know.” He ends his little speech with another shrug and Jake is smitten. He’s sure everyone can see it on his face and he expects at any moment the cops are gonna jump out and arrest him.

“Oh I’m Tom by the way,” the boy says, holding out his hand.

Jake reaches out to shake it and it takes all his willpower to ignore how his hand just engulfs the younger man’s, “Jake and it’s my nephew, not my son or daughter.”

At that they both burst out laughing, it’s so weird and awkward but the laughter eases the tension, once they’ve calmed down.

The kid, Tom, slides his hand out from Jake’s and says, placing his hands on his hips, “Well I can still help, I suppose. Honestly, any of them are good but Batman is DC, not Marvel. If your nephew is a big fan you may never hear the end of it if you mix them up.”

“Duly noted,” Jake responds, grabbing the Spider-Man off the shelf and putting it in the cart, he doesn’t miss the large smile on Tom’s face when he makes his choice. He wants to talk to the kid more but he knows it’s a bad idea, he starts to say thanks and walk away but the boy pipes up.

“So is it his birthday or something?” his hands are stuck in his back pocket when he asks, the toe of his white sneaker scuffing against the linoleum. He sees the hopeful look in the kid’s brown eyes, he looks a bit like a puppy and Jake’s a bit of a goner on the kid.

“Uh, no,” he answers pushing the brim of his thick-rimmed glass back up his nose, “he and his sister are staying for the summer. I thought it’d be a good idea to get some stuff for them before they arrive.” Tom bites his lower lip while Jake talks, his brown eyes flitting up and down Jake’s body. He wants to puff out his chest, smooth down his oversized blue sweater so Tom can see he’s trimer in the waist than he appears, he tightens his grip on the plastic handle of his cart instead. 

“That’s cool,” he says brightly, “is she a Marvel fan like her brother?” he points to the wall behind Jake’s head, “cuz Carol Danvers is pretty badass.”

Jake can’t help the smile on his face when he responds, easily getting sucked into talking about his two favorite people, “No, she’s more into Lego’s and art. She builds circles around me, I’m lucky if I remember to add windows to a damn square house. Kate, that’s my niece, is over there building a 2-foot tall robot with lasers and shit.” 

“Oh man, she sounds like she’s mini Tony Stark, you might want to grab her one of those as well,” he’s smiling and chuckling along with Jake.

Jake raises a skeptical eyebrow at the guy, “What, do you work for them or something? Sneak up on unsuspecting customers and find ways to lure them to the dark side?”

Tom’s full-on laughing now, “What!?! No, I swear and that’s Star Wars.”

“See! You know way too much about this stuff kid,” Jake giggles, he literally giggles and he hasn’t done that in years, his heart feels so light and it’s so wrong.

“Oh my god,” Tom groans, clutching his side, fight back his own set of giggles, “I’m 23 for fucks sake!” he says rather loudly, getting cut off by an older woman scoffing at them and giving them a disgruntled look, pulling her small child away to the next aisle, It sets them off laughing again. The age revelation would have registered more if he hadn’t been focused on the woman’s scowl, the child’s shocked face and Tom’s flaming red one.

Tom calms himself down enough to finish, “I’m 23 for fu-freaks sakes,” catching himself just in time, adorably smacking a hand over his mouth, both sharing a smile over the almost slip, “I’ve been growing up, on them for the past ten years. I know enough.”

Jake grins, amping up to start quizzing the kid, guy. It hits him that he might have a chance and that this guy is an adult. And the thing is, he wants to talk to Tom, he’s standing in the middle of a giant warehouse store and he doesn’t want to leave. He’s so easy to talk to, face tipped up towards Jake’s, brown eyes soft and open, mouth pink and inviting, he could dive right in. He feels his fingers twitch to get at a keyboard or a pen, hell he’d take a pencil and a napkin right now to get this feeling on to paper.

Then two things happen at once his phone beeps and a blonde headed kid comes zipping by, “Excuse me, mister,” he says, reaching around Jake’s leg to grab a Thor off a metal hanger. And reality comes crashing back onto him and he has to get going. His phone was probably his sister with the flight details, he still has to get stuff for Kate and buy snacks, maybe some movies and games. When he focuses back on Tom, the guy’s looking at him with concern, “You alright there mate? Your face did a funny thing all of a sudden.”

It surprises a laugh out of Jake, “I”m sorry, I just remembered I have so much to do before they get here.

Tom’s eyes widen, taking a step back, “Oh right, of course. I’m, uh, sure you have a lot of shopping to do.”

Jake nods his head but he can’t get his legs to move, his mind replays their interaction all while telling himself, “he’s 23, 23 23 23 23.” 

They both open their mouths at the same time, “do you wanna….?” “do you mind......?” They share matching smiles when they both say, “go ahead.” They start laughing again. Jake feels ridiculous. This can’t be real life right now. He bites down on his tongue to get himself under control.

“Tom, go ahead, please,” he keeps his teeth on his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing at the faces Tom makes while trying to control his own laughter.

“I just was asking…if I could tag along while you shop,” he bites his lip, hand rubbing the back of his neck, all laughter washed away by the onslaught of his nerves. Jake must take too long to respond because he begins to explain himself, “I mean I know a lot about Legos too and art supplies.” He trails off at Jake’s raised eyebrow.

He pushes his cart towards the Lego section without answering Tom’s question just lets the guy catch up to him, “Eh, you might be of some help,” he says as Tom comes to stand next to him. He surveys the selection adding, “I mean you're closer to their ages than I am.”

Tom scoffs, holding a hand to his chest, “I am offended, I can’t possibly be that much younger than you. Wait how old are you?”

Jake cringes, he walked right into that one, “Uh 38.” He pretends to look at a Lego City box set while watching for Tom’s reaction out of the side of his eye. 

“Huh,” is all the reaction he gets, “Well it's not that big of a difference and besides age is just a number.” He picks up a set based off ninjas, flipping it over but it seems forced in the same way that Jake was just a moment ago.

He decides to skate over the subject for now, not sure if he’s more worried about being rejected or accepted at this point, “Anyway you’re still closer to their ages than mine.”

Tom nods his head, “True,” he says, “but I’m actually doing this to get to know their Uncle.” he reaches down and tickles the inside of Jake’s palm with the tips of his fingers, it sends a shock wave up his arm and his eyes bug out of his head, mouth gaping open like some dumb fish. At his reaction, Tom’s fingers slip away and he takes a step to the side, putting some space between them.

Jake grabs him quickly by the wrist, stopping him from going any further, “No it’s okay, I’m glad. I just was shocked. I want to get to know you too.”

Tom beams up at him, “Really?”

Jake hasn’t stopped smiling since they met and the smile on his face doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, “Yeah really, I've been trying to figure out how to get your number without sounding creepy.”

Tom chuckles, “Don’t worry I’ve already got a new contact open and ready to go.”

Jake can feel the blush on his face, chuckling as well, giving the younger man’s wrist a light squeeze before letting go, “Alright, let's finish this and then exchange numbers. It’ll give me some motivation to quit goofing off.”

“Yes let's stop goofing off so we can get off,” Tom ventures, doing an obnoxious eyebrow wiggle. 

Jake busts out laughing at him, “Oh my god,” he says, shaking his head at the younger man.

Tom visibly cringes, “That was bad, wasn't it?”

Jake still laughing at him, “Yeah, yeah it was.”

“Man, I’m sorry,” he apologizes, curling his lip in embarrassment.

Jake claps him on the shoulder, squeezing the muscle, “It’s okay, I like the sentiment, just wasn’t expecting innuendo in the toy aisle.”

“Yeah okay, I’ll lay off, for now,” he responds, nodding his head.

“At least until we’re done looking at toys for my niece and nephew,” Jake jokes with a grin, giving the man’s shoulder one more squeeze before dropping his hand.

Tom scans the rows of Legos while trying to wipe the smile off his face with his hand, “So, when do they arrive?”

“Well, honestly I'm not sure,” Jake answers, digging into his pocket, “It was sorta sudden. My brother-in-law’s mom broke her hip,” he finishes, pulling out his phone to check his messages.

“Oh man, that’s awful. I hope she’s alright.” Tom finds an interesting box of Lego’s with fighting robots on the front.

There aren't any from her so he puts it back in his pocket, “I think so, at least she didn’t sound too worried when we spoke. She was in a rush trying to get things sorted. She asked if I could take the kids and I did.” he shrugs, upturning his hands as well. 

“That’s really nice of you and you’re going out of your way, getting them toys and stuff.” He holds the box out for Jake to inspect. 

“I guess,” Jake says with a shrug, taking the box from Tom’s hands and reading the description “it’s not like it’s a hardship, I've got the time and the room at my place. It’s the least I can do.” He tosses the box into his cart, smiling down at Tom, “That one was perfect, nice pick, thanks.” Jake takes note of the blush of Tom’s cheeks at the praise. 

“Come on old man,” he says, tugging at the sleeve of Jake’s sweater, “I’ll show you all the cool snacks us kids love nowadays.” Jake glowers at the back of Tom’s head as he walks off towards the grocery section. When Jake doesn’t immediately follow, Tom turns back to look at him, “Hurry up, this place gives out free fruit, you can watch me eat a banana,” he calls with a wink.

“We are still in the toy aisle,” Jake scolds, pushing the cart toward him.

“You are but I am not,” he says, pointing up at a sign over his head that says housewares. 

Jake rolls his eyes at him, pushing the cart past the guy, turning it toward the fresh fruits and vegetables, “Come on kid, you can watch  _ me  _ eat a banana and I’ll swallow it all.”

Tom makes a noise of excitement, “Now that’s more like it!” 

  
  



	2. Must Be More

Tom is the first to admit that he’s a mess but it’s never been this bad. If you had asked Tom three weeks ago what he would be doing for the summer it wouldn’t be this, laying hot and sticky in the heat staring at the slowly moving fan overhead. He’s starting to regret all of his life choices, he’s English for fuck sakes, he wasn’t meant for this type of weather. He keeps the blinds drawn during the hottest part of the day, fearing the reflection of the white car across the street will give him sunburn. He knows it’s a tad ridiculous but he is a pale delicate flower.

Three weeks ago he had a plan, three weeks ago he had a job lined up, an apartment ready to be moved into and the phone number of the hottest guy Tom had ever met. But in less than a week all that was gone. First, it was his phone forgetting it on top of his car after spending those few glorious hours with said hot guy. Then it was the apartment, one word, bedbugs, he suffered through that once, the one year he lived on campus and he refused to do it again. Last to go was the job which was the biggest blow, the family that had hired him to nanny for the summer had unexpectedly changed plans and sent the kids to camp. 

The one bright spot was that the Barnes’ said he could stay in his room at their house until he found something. They were kind enough not to put a time limit but he knew he couldn’t stay there indefinitely. He loved the Barnes family just as much as his own but they’d eventually need their guest bedroom back.

He only had one more year left to get his degree but with all three of their kids in school now and Steve, cutting back his hours there wasn’t a need for a Nanny anymore. The Barnes’ had been the best family to work for and he was sad to have to part with them but it was time to get his shit together. At the end of summer, he had a TA job all set up at an elementary school but he didn’t have enough to get through the summer and he still needed to find a permanent place to live. It was hard though when every spare moment was spent remembering meeting Jake and that wonderful moment when he lost his phone.

Jake had walked him to his car, where there had been more laughing and flirting, he hadn’t purchased much himself but Jake helped him load it into this trunk anyway. As soon as the lid was shut the wind shifted and so did the mood, a curl had come loose from Tom’s slicked-back hair and Jake had given it a little tug, smiling softly and then leaning in to give Tom a kiss and Tom remembers placing his phone on the roof of his car because his keys where hanging by the loop of his finger and he wanted to grab Jake and pull him in, deepen the kiss but not stab him in the neck so that’s what he had done. Jake had moaned so nice and easy, opening his mouth up to tangle their tongues together. His lips were soft and his beard was itchy and Tom was floating, Jake pulled away teasing him one last time with a nip to his top lip and Tom licked over it savoring the taste of the older man. 

Jake had then stepped back beaming down at him making Tom’s heart stutter in his chest, “I’ll, I’ll call you, yeah?” Tom had said, stumbling back against his car. 

“Please do?” Jake had requested, sounding so earnest that Tom nearly closed the door on his fingers when it hit his hip and bounced back to close on itself. 

Tom nodded eagerly and somehow was able to get himself seated and buckled with minimal damage to himself while Jake had looked at him fondly through the window. He drove away and probably lost his phone after taking a turn or something because he remembers putting it down but not picking it up. 

After replacing his lost phone he called to complain to Harry about losing the guy’s number but all his brother had said was, “If you had backed up everything to the cloud. Like I told you, you’d still have his number.” He’d lamented to both Mr. Barnes’ about his lost his phone and the lost chance at romance. They had just taken to teasing him that he sighed every time he said Jake’s name. He only did that a little.

He tried hard to find the guy by going back to the store, he had gone so often in the past few weeks, that security had started to tail him since he would walk the whole store with only buying one small item, sometimes not buying anything at all. It was a wasted effort he hadn’t seen him at all, not his full head of dark hair or that stupid soft blue sweater. He was pining so hard, it was disgusting. 

The one thing he had done right was, sign up for an online Nanning service, he passed the background check no problem, had an excellent reference from his previous employers, a number of certifications and had selected the flexible under the option for live-in but even with all those pluses he was only available for the summer so he, unfortunately, hasn’t gotten any inquiries. 

It was another hot sticky day and Tom was making his way through a bag of crisps and a Dr. Phil marathon when his phone pinged with a notification. He dusted his hands off and grabbed his phone thinking it was another text from Steve, who had been keeping him up to date on their vacation, the last one had been a picture of the kids on the beach, Clint and Sam building a castle out of sand and Nat adding shells along the bottom. He loved that they were keeping him connected to them, the day they had left for their trip they had shared one last group hug and James had told him he would always be welcome because he was family. He had only cried a little bit. 

This time it wasn’t a text from them but a message from the Nanny service letting him know he had an inquiry. He opened it quickly, hoping this would finally be the thing to turn his summer around. At first glance everything seemed perfect, 2 kids, a boy, and a girl, both elementary school-aged, just needed for the summer, live in preferred and still close enough he could still stay at the Barnes residence if he wanted but the profile was sketchy as hell. 

There was no profile picture, no names or ages of the children, just those minimal details and that it was urgent. He wasn’t sure if it was the best idea but the Nanny service had stated they do extensive background checks for both parties and he was desperate to find something. So, he shrugged his shoulders and messaged them back saying he would agree to meet the Gyllenhaal’s at a nearby park tomorrow at two.

~~~~~~~~~

The past three weeks have been hell. He can’t believe he was ever bored, he wants to go back to that, bored sounds good right now. He adores his niece and nephew, he really does but he had no clue how much energy they had. The last few times they had been here, John had been younger and, most importantly, it had been 3 adults against 2 kids but now he was outnumbered and outfoxed because they knew ways to twist words that he could never think of. 

He never really knew how specific a person needed to be to get an eight-year-old to stop standing on your couch. 

_ “Kate please don’t jump on the couch.” _

_ “Ok” _

_ “Kate I asked you to not jump on the couch.” _

_ “I’m not jumping on the couch, I’m bouncing.” _

_ “Will you stop standing on the couch?” _

_ “You never said I couldn’t stand on the couch.” _

_ “I thought that was implied.” _

_ And then John piped in with, “What does implied mean?” _

_ “It means, it goes without saying,” he answered, Kate was now sitting but using her butt too bounce herself, “Kate could you please not do that.” _

_ John began tugging on his arm, “What does that mean?” _

That had been yesterday. Despite getting them various games and toys they were still bored most of the time. They had been looking forward to the summer and the promise of beach days and vacations with their parents but now they were stuck with their recluse of an Uncle who was struggling to keep them entertained. It hadn’t been that hard at first, he had taken them to the local parks, a trip to the movies and one failed attempt at the museum where he had lost John. He was found by a security guard in the modern art section, the boy had been distracted by an art piece made of glass and light, reflecting a large butterfly on the wall. It was beautiful but Jake had been scared out of his mind. He called Maggie after they had gotten back to the house, hiding in the bathroom, crying that he couldn’t do this and that he was sorry. She had comforted him as best she could and then told the story about how Kate had taken off once and at the grocery and she had left the cart with her purse in it to go chase after her and then she gave Jake the number of the nanny service they use. 

It didn’t help as much as she thought it would because he ended the conversation more scared than when he went into it. And now they haven’t left the house in a week and the cabin fever is driving them all insane. He has a decent enough sized backyard and he got them a sprinkler, chalk and a kickball but still, it’s the same view day in and day out. They need more and even without his fear of losing one of them he has become busier with work than he had planned.

There was another movie in the works and the writers who were translating his work from novel form to script were asking for his input. It was a stipulation of the contract so he couldn’t say no and then there was his personal writing. He had found his muse in a young man with slender wrists and a bright laugh. Who also hadn’t called him like he said he would. His fingers had been itching to tell his story, to tell any story about that laugh and those eyes but with every passing day and no call, all the words ended up melancholy which drug his mood down further. He figured it had been his own fault, he had read the kid wrong and made a move too quick and now he’s scared him off. He had finally found someone he connected with and ruined it. 

He should have just gone ahead and used the service as his sister had suggested but he felt that by doing that he wasn’t helping her, she could have just done that instead of sending them to him. Jake felt like he was failing on all fronts. 

After another day of arguing with the kids about using the couch as a trampoline, he decided to set up a profile. It didn’t take him long and even with all the guarantees of background checks and references he still kept to the bare minimum of information and made sure not to include pictures or names of the kids. The background check took a few hours to go through but that wasn’t a problem since it stated that it was local, federal and international. He appreciated that since this was the care of his niece and nephew he was talking about. 

He found a hit almost immediately someone within his area who was flexible on the living arrangement. When he had spoken to Ryan about it, he was told live-in was convenient because you never really worried about anyone being on time but sometimes it could be awkward to share space with someone who you don’t know that well at first. Jake figured him and the nanny could figure that out together. He had space so it wouldn’t be an issue either way. 

He checked the profile out surprised to find that it was a young guy in college because when he pictured a nanny, he thought of a Mrs. Doubtfire type. The guy, Thomas, was cute or at least he looked cute from what Jake could tell from the thumbnail picture, it didn’t enlarge which was a shame. He looked a little like the Tom he met at the store but this guy wore black-rimmed glasses, his hair was a mess of curls and a tight-lipped smile. He almost didn’t message the guy because he reminded him so much of the Tom met but he knew that was stupid and he needed help. The man’s reference was outstanding and he knew the area well so he would be perfect for helping Jake figure out fun and age-appropriate things for the kids to do, that they all could do together. 

He got a response within minutes and he set up a time to meet at a park a few blocks away for the next day at two. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Tom got there early the following day to make sure there were other families at the park and he wouldn’t be meeting a stranger alone. He checks his phone to read the message again confirming they were to meet at the bench under the big tree, next to the row of chess tables. The playground was full of kids on the playset and there were several sets of parents and a few fellow nannies he knew. He took a deep breath before heading out, he could see a man sitting on the bench but his back was to Tom so all he could make out was dark hair. 

“Mr. Gyllenhaal?” he asks, coming up behind the man.

“Uh? Yes that’s me,” he said, turning in his seat and Tom takes a step back, they both have pleasant smiles that just fall off in shock.

“Tom!?!”

“Jake!?!”

They both go to talk in the next breath and neither can understand the other, Jake smiles and being the gentleman that he seems to always be, waves for Tom to go first.

Which now that he has the floor, so to speak, he is lost for words, mouth gaping like a fish, “I tried to look for you.” Is what comes out of his mouth and he cringes at himself and Jake looks confused.

“I'm sure I gave you my number.”

Tom nods, “You did! I just lost my phone and I didn't save it, and I’m sorry. God,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair, taking in the older man. He looks good, better even, with a well-fitting white t-shirt, black jeans, and brown boots and his beard, fuck, his memory did not do it justice. Tom just wants to rub his face against it like a cat, give himself a beard burn.

Jake smiles kindly at him, “Tom, you're very sweet but you don’t have to lie. I’m a grown man. I know that I overstepped when I-,”

“No!,” Tom cuts him off quickly, “I swear you didn’t. I really did lose my phone and I am so bad about backing up my phone. I really would have called you.”

Now Jake is blushing and Tom will melt and it won’t because of the summer sun. Jake is reaching into his pocket, “Okay well how about this time you give me your number and I’ll call you.” He unlocks his phone then seeming to remember something, looks up and scans the area surrounding them and then turning to look back at the playset, “I’d love to sit and chat with you but I’m actually meeting someone. They should be here,” he scans the area again.

Tom chuckles, “Me, you’re meeting me, Mr. Gyllenhaal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I decided I was going to make this story longer. I'm not of how many chapters there will end up being. I also wanted to warn everyone that the rating will change at some point. Thank you all! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated.


	3. Been Way Too Safe

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Tom was hired, pretty much on sight. Jake would later confess to Ryan in a drunken text rant that he couldn’t let that pretty little English boy just walk away again. Sober him felt very gross and pervy with that comment but it didn’t make it any less true. It was less of an interview and more of them joking back and forth for about 20 minutes before the kids finally wandered over in search of a snack and water. Which Jake hadn’t thought to bring and after three weeks you’d have thought he would have known that by now but it just showed how much help he needed. Thankfully, Tom was there and after introductions, he told them about an ice cream parlor that was within walking distance. 

While the four of them were sitting at one of the small metal tables, eating their various frozen treats Kate looked up from her strawberry-mango swirl and said, “I like him. You should hire him.”

John nodded his little brown head in agreement, “Yeah, he’s good. He knew where the ice cream was. That’s important.”

Tom smiled around his spoon, cheeks tinting a lovely shade of pink, “He is right, Ice cream is very important.”

“Indeed it is,” Jake had agreed and that had really been that.

If it had been up to Jake, Tom would have moved into the house that very day, honestly Jake was ready to give the kid a drawer in his dresser and a place in his bed, Jake would just be an amenity. None of that was practical though and Tom did have to take precautions. They barely knew each other and it made sense that he waited a bit before moving in. Jake is also pretty sure that once he moved in it would be doubly hard for him to keep his hands to himself.

Ryan has been teasing him endlessly about him “fucking the nanny”, “it’s such a cliche and I’m surprised you haven’t written it already.” he had continued on, “Speaking of.”

“No, nope, I said I wanted to write something different for a change”

Ryan whined on the other end of the phone, “but why? You’re so good at it and making a shit ton of money doing it as well.” 

Jake sighed, they’d had this argument before and honestly every time his excuses sounded weaker and weaker, “You know why. I want to be taken seriously as an author,”

He heard Ryan’s mutter, “You would be if you just used your real damn name,” but he ignored it, “I want to write something John and Kate can read,” he didn’t have to see Ryan roll his eyes to know he was doing it. As much as Jake was a published author and had made the bestseller list, he was still weird about letting anyone outside of Ryan read his stuff so really that line was utter bullshit. And finally the last one, “And I really want to find someone who doesn’t run away in disgust when they see the books I write.”

Ryan barks a laugh at that one, “Well that one would be solved if you stopped being a repressed idiot and picked a partner who wanted to do those things too.”

“What are you talking about?” Jake asks, bewildered by the insinuation. 

Ryan snorts down the phone line, “Did you forget that I read your books, I’ve read all of them.”

Jake shakes his head, “No, that’s not me. I don’t, I wouldn’t, that’s all fantasy. I don’t actually do those things.”

“Righ, now that’s bullshit.”

“No, it’s true,” Jake defends, “I’m the complete opposite of that.”

Ryan laughs at him again, “Well if you’re not, you sure want to because I’m telling you man, with the way you write, there is no way you don’t want at least a little of that in the bedroom.”

Jake shrugs even though Ryan won’t be able to see, “I mean, maybe some of it, not all but some, yeah wouldn’t be, uh, too bad.”

Ryan sighs, “That’s why none of your past partners work out. You hide who you really are because for some reason you’re ashamed. So what you write erotica? So what you like it a little kinky in the bedroom? There is nothing wrong with that. You need to stop picking people who think there is. And you need to tell people what you want.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Jake says resigned, he knows Ryan’s right but it’s easier said than done. “How will I know the difference.”

“It’s called talking, you should try it sometime. Really clears a lot of things up.”

“Oh fuck you!” Jake chuckles, affronted.

“No don’t fuck me, fuck the nanny and maybe spank him a little bit while you’re at it. You’ll feel better.”

Jake hung up before Ryan finished laughing. 

\---------

Everything was going smoothly for the first couple of days Tom fit in with the three of them seamlessly. First on the agenda was a shopping trip which went surprisingly fast with Tom having the kids help. Kate had a knack for picking the best produce and when Jake asked her about it, she commented that her mom has them do this every trip. He felt a bit dumb that he hadn’t thought about it but Tom patted his arm in reassurance. After shopping, they passed a small park on the way home. Jake had previously overlooked it due to the lack of playground but Tom pointed out the small pond surrounded by grass, trees and a walking path. Jake suggested the idea of a picnic lunch and Tom awarded him with a smile and the kids a loud whoop of excitement. Once home and groceries put away Tom lined them all up in an assembly line of sandwiches, cut fruit, and bagged chips. 

It was milder than the previous ones with a nice breeze and plenty of fluffy clouds and the kids spotted a shaded spot under a tree near the water's edge. After lunch, the Jake and the kids went in search of flat stones in hopes of skipping them across the smooth surface. Jake couldn’t get a stone to skip more than three times but John and Kate each got up to five, Tom stood to the side to record the whole thing with Jake’s phone then sending it off to Maggie at Jake’s request. 

The next two days consisted of wet rainy weather and Jake getting an emergency email that the writers were once again asking for his input. He also had the burning desire to write after the refreshing day they had before. Tom smiled at him when he brought all that up to him the first morning before the young man pushed him into his office and then spent the next two days entertaining the kids. 

The first day was a giant pillow and blanket fort that took up the entire living room when Jake peeked his head in after a few hours he couldn’t see a single man or child but he heard giggles and rustles of paper and fabric. An hour before dinner he got down on his knees and crawled into the mess to find where the all the giggling was coming from. What he found at the center was a cozy area filled with pillows and blanket all arranged in a semi-circle seating area Tom, Kate and John were all either laying or sitting against the structure with paper strewn about coloring up a storm. Some of the previous drawings were hanging up tape on their couch pillow made walls. At first, none of the occupants had noticed him too busy coloring their pictures.

“Wow,” he said, taking it all in, the kid in him was jealous he never had anything this amazing when he was little. 

A chorus of “Uncle Jake’s” rang out when the kids heard him and Tom’s quiet “Oh no,” when the kids launched themselves at him taking the whole structure down with them. 

The following day was a movie day. Jake had a few but Tom had a treasure trove bringing over at least a dozen, he shrugged saying he knew they wouldn’t watch them all today but this way the kids had a variety of choices. It was getting harder and harder for Jake not to kiss him. Jake decided not to work past lunch and kept that promise to himself and being just in time for Tom to show the kids how to make popcorn balls. He had picked up a variety of candy the night before on his way back to his place and the kids ended up making some crazy concoctions that Jake refused to taste. The worst was John’s skittles, Reese pieces, and sour patch kids. Tom swore that was not what those sour candies were meant to be used for but they had been in the bag and neither of them had thought to stop him. It looked just as bad as Jake assumed it tasted. 

\----------

It had finally stopped raining and as Tom got ready that morning he started thinking of things to do outside with the kids. He knew of a larger park that was a bit of a drive but hopefully Jake wouldn’t need to do any work in his office and he could join them. He really enjoyed spending time with the older man, he knew the physical attraction was there but he didn’t know he’d start falling for the man himself. He was so sweet with his niece and nephew always thinking of them and eager to learn to be better with them. He only had them for the summer but he took their care and safety extremely seriously. Jake was also willing to admit when he was wrong and then change and that said so much about him as a person. 

Already Tom felt comfortable with Jake and he adored the kids, he knew he only for sure had the summer with them, fall looming in the distance with uncertainty. It was getting harder and harder to leave the three of them at night, staying long past dinner until he could see the worry set in Jake’s eyes the later it got knowing that Tom still had the drive home. It wasn’t a long drive but still, after a full day, 45 minutes could be dangerous if he was overtired. He figured he’d take Jake’s offer of the guest bedroom up pretty soon. The Barnes family was due back from the vacation in the next week or so and he knew they had plans of extended family. They had made no mention of Tom needing to be out by then both having mentioned perfectly good couches and bunking with the kids but he knew it was time. He wasn’t even paying rent at their place he was starting to feel like a freeloader. 

Tom had gotten to Jake’s by nine like he had the previous three days and began helping Jake make breakfast. This morning was pancakes and fresh fruit. Tom would suspect Jake was trying to impress him if the other day hadn’t been cold cereal, pop tarts and this terrible Woody Woodpecker remake that John just couldn’t get enough of, usually spending the rest of day imitating that laugh.

While Tom plated the food Jake had gone up to wake the kids, it felt weirdly domestic sitting at the table and having breakfast. It shouldn’t feel this warm and comfortable so fast but it does and Jake gives him small smiles that say he feels the same. 

John is a little more sluggish in the morning, slowing eating the pancakes that Tom cut up for him while Kate is already edging to get moving, her foot tapping against the leg of her chair providing a bit of background noise to the scrape of the utensils. He’s seen adults get irritated at kids who are constantly moving a leg or tapping their fingers, Jake doesn’t seem to notice or care only ever stopping her when she was in danger of knocking something off a table. It warms something in him being as he was a kid who was in a constant state of motion, having exasperated adults telling him to slow down and be quiet. 

He’s broken from his thoughts by Kate who says, “Thanks for breakfast, can I go out and play?” Eyes already on the box of chalk on the counter. 

Jake shakes his head, “Not today doll, was thinking we’d go to the aquarium today.” Kate stops moving and John’s eyes lose that haze of sleep he carries for at least an hour after waking. 

“Really!?!” she asks, small body starting to shake in excitement.

“Yes really,” Jake smiles at the kids, his own joy bleeding through. 

It’s John, who seems to take after his Uncle in his thoughtfulness, who asks, “Can Tom come too?”

Jake huffs, “Of course Tom can come. At least I hope he can?”

“Wait you didn’t ask him?” Kate bemoans, “That is so rude Uncle Jake, he might be afraid.”

“Yeah!” Jake yells, startling everyone, “There might be sharks! And sharks are scary.” He chomps his teeth in imitation. 

Jake nods his head looking very serious, “You’re right John they are scary and I should definitely ask.” he takes a breath and looks at Tom. “Tom even though sharks are really scary would you like to join us at the aquarium we would love to have you?” 

Their eyes meet and it’s strangely tense between them like what he’s asking isn’t what he’s asking but it doesn’t matter because Tom answers, “Yes,” easy as anything.

Jake smiles and both kids cheer. 

\----------

The aquarium is exhausting, fun, but exhausting. There’s so much to see that they spend the first ten minutes trying to organize in which order they should see everything. John is insistent they see the sharks but they’re located at the back of the park while Kate wants to see the seals which are near the front. Tom expertly handles the meltdown John has when he finds out they won’t see the sharks first. The promise of turtles and dolphins seem to smooth things over well enough and the pink flamingos they pass on the way are distraction enough for John to forget all about it 

Around mid-afternoon, it’s Kate’s turn to have a fit and Jake is at a loss as to what has upset her but Tom points out that it’s been hours of walking in the heat and they haven’t had lunch. Jake herd the small group to a pizza vendor stationed along the walkway. Once Kate has a slice of cheese pizza and an ice-cold lemonade in hand her mood perks back up. She hugs them both and thanks them and a few moments later they get a repeat of hugs and thanks from John. 

After lunch, it’s finally the sharks and John gets so excited he races off toward the entrance this time Jake has Tom with him so he has no worries about chasing off after the little boy while Tom stays with Kate.

He easily catches up, scooping the boy up in his arms, admonishing, “Buddy, you can not run off like that. It’s dangerous.”

“But sharks,” his nephew says, pointing at the large sign for the shark tunnel. 

Tom walks up to the pair, placing a hand on Jake’s arm, “We know you’re excited but if you keep doing that you won’t get to see the sharks.”

“But I want to see the sharks, they’re my favorite?” He pouts, tears springing to his eyes. 

Jake frowns, he wants to avoid a meltdown and he doesn’t want John to miss out on the fun, “I don’t see why he has to miss…” but he cuts himself off when he catches the look Tom is giving him.

“John,” Tom says with a firm tone looking the boy in the eyes, “Running off is very dangerous, if you do not listen and stay with us, you and I will sit out here while you’re sister and Uncle go see the sharks.”

John chews on his lower lip for a short moment, wiping his eyes with a fist, “Ok, I promise to stay with you.” He nods his little brown head and wiggles until Jake puts him down. 

Jake is gobsmacked that it actually worked, John doesn’t have a meltdown and instead takes Tom’s hand and doesn’t let go as they weave their way through the crowd and toward the entrance to the shark tunnel.

“How did you do that?” He asks while they wait in line, he whispers so the kids don’t over here. Both of them are looking at the display cases of the bones of various sharks and Kate is reading the names and information off the brass nameplates to John.

“It’s easy really. You just have to be firm and mean what you say. You can’t say they can’t do or have something and then give in because they’re sad about it. Looking them in the eye helps a lot, if John had been on the ground I would have kneeled down so he’d know I was serious but without being intimidating.” 

“And that works?” Jake hasn’t ever had to be the disciplinarian with kids, its weird getting advice from someone much younger than him but he figures this is Tom’s job so he probably knows what he’s talking about.

“Usually, I mean timeouts help too.”

“And you really would have skipped the sharks?”

The line has stopped moving for the moment and Tom looks at him with a frown, “Of course. I’m an adult. I’ve seen sharks and can see them again. Him being safe and staying with us is more important than sharks.”

Tom says it likes it’s a no brainer, which it probably is but it means a lot to Jake that Tom cares so much about their safety. It's ridiculous but it gets him blushing and he stupidly nods his head, “Cool, that’s cool.”

Tom must know what he’s thinking because he rolls his eyes, leaning in to murmur in Jake’s ear, “Me caring about your niece and nephew should not get you hot, it is literally my job.” Jake shivers and Tom gives his ear a quick nip, “That on the other hand.” he says with a slight raise of his eyebrows, he doesn’t finish his sentence which is good because they are surrounded by kids and Jake does not want a boner. 

Jake can see why John loves the sharks so much, they look amazing swimming around them in the tunnel. Reef sharks and hammerheads circle them and a lone sand-colored nurse shark has suctioned itself to the very top so they can easily see it’s pale underside. Kate gives a yelp of surprise when a big Bull shark swims by and the glass gives the illusion that the giant best is only a scant inch away. John jumps in front of her saying, “Don’t worry Katie I’ll protect you.” Kate hugs him from behind in thanks and Jake shares a smile with Tom.

John keeps tight to Tom for the rest of the day, holding his for the rest of the shark tunnel and nearly falling asleep with his small head resting against Tom’s arm while they all sit in the shade eating ice cream. Kate doesn’t seem to have a bottom to her energy reserve bouncing on her toes when she sees a sign that advertises feeding the stingrays. Kate squeals with delight when one of them nips at her fingers and John is too nervous and Jake has to help him hold his hand flat on the bottom of the pool. He says it tickles but he won’t do it again after the first time. 

The last exhibit they pass is the penguins and from the way, Tom’s eyes light up, it must be his favorite and even though the kids are tired and a little cranky Jake promises them that if they go through it they can pick something out at the gift store. Tom tries to say it isn’t necessary but Jake assures him he was going to do that anyway. 

Once inside the kids seem to get one last boost of energy, probably because the exhibit is entirely enclosed with a/c and a few of the platforms move so there isn’t much walking. Jake hadn’t realized there were so many different species of Penguins marveling at the different black and white feather patterns. Jake reads the different names and descriptors quietly fascinated by the birds when Kate gets their attention, “Hey! These penguins are like the ones in the movie that mom showed us!”

“What movie?” Jake asks.

“The one where the Penguin gives a pebble to the one he loves.” Kate informs him, pointing at a plaque next to an exhibit with black penguins with a white belly and white band on the top of their heads, “the Gintwo” she says.

“Gentoo,” Tom corrects, “And yeah those are my favorite.”

Jake looks at the birds, he’s seen the movie and knows the premise but these birds don’t look much different than the others, “Why?”

“Is it because you want a shiny pebble?” John asks.

Tom laughs, he ruffles John’s hair, “Kinda,” he shrugs a shoulder, “I think it’s sweet. They search all over for the perfect rock to give to their mate. It makes me think we aren’t much different.”

It’s Kate who steals the question that Jake wants to ask, “Is it because of the rings? Like Dad gave to Mom when they got married?”

“Something like that,” Tom nods.

Jake leans over to read the information on the wall, “Well I hate to break it to you guys but it says here that they give the rock to their intended mate doesn’t say anything about the other penguin accepting. Wonder how many Gentoo are walking around with broken hearts.” 

“What?” John’s voice wobbles when he asks and Kate looks shocked. 

“Uh…” he looks at Tom for help, “I think I messed up.”

“Ya think?” Tom rolls his eyes at him before turning to the children, “You’re Uncle is joking. There are no broken-hearted penguins.”

“Are you sure?” Kate questions.

“I promise.”

Jake wants to call him out on it but is smart enough to keep his mouth shut. 

It’s easy to smooth things over when they get to the gift shop, the kids already forgetting all about broken-hearted penguins when there are toys to be looked at. John gravitates toward the display of sharks with Tom close by and Jake follows Kate around the store as she bounces from one display to the next. She isn’t interested in any of the plushies or any of the plastic animal toys, Jake lets her wander never letting her get too far and then she finds a shelf of books about all the different sea animals and starts looking through them. 

Jake hadn’t planned on getting anything for himself but a display of knick-knacks catch his eye, the sign above it stating that everything on the table is under five dollars. It’s all small silly things a box of mood rings, key chains, magnets, bobbleheads and a few boxes of polished rocks and gemstones. He can’t help himself from drifting towards it. 

Kate ends up with a book about Sea Turtles, smiling brightly, John and Tom join them at the register. John with a tiger shark plushie and Tom has a metal key chain in the shape of a penguin. Jake tugs it out of Tom’s hand, “Why don’t you take them outside while I pay.”

Tom shakes his head, “Jake I was gonna get it. You already bought my ticket.”

Jake rolls his eyes at the man, “Just go, it’s nothing.”

“Thanks,” he says giving Jake a shy smile, “come on kids, the lady with the iguana is walking by wanna get a picture?”

There is a small cheer of yeses from the two and then Jake is left to the quiet of the shop.

“You have a beautiful family,” the girl behind the register says.

He opens his mouth to correct her but he kinda likes the idea and it’s not like it’s that big of a lie, “Thanks,” he answers, “I do.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is turning way fluffier than I meant, we are getting there though I promise. LOL

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Come say hi on [Tumblr](https://iwillscreamuntilearsbleed.tumblr.com)


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